Body Shop System Manufacturing Engineer

Job Title: Body Shop System Manufacturing Engineer Job Description The Body Shop Systems Manufacturing Engineer provides engineering leadership throughout new vehicle model development and launch, from early product development through final assembly and production ramp-up. This role focuses heavily on vehicle dimensional systems, body construction, tooling and fixture readiness, joining and welding, tolerances, metrology, and overall manufacturing quality to ensure robust designs and high-performing vehicles. Responsibilities

- Support upfront engineering and manufacturing feasibility assessments for new vehicle programs, ensuring designs can be produced efficiently and to quality standards.
- Apply Systems Engineering principles when evaluating vehicle dimensional and manufacturing issues, considering the vehicle as an integrated system.
- Analyze and interpret GD&T, dimensional stack-ups, and tolerances across vehicle systems to maintain proper fit, function, and performance.
- Evaluate differences and special considerations associated with steel and aluminum tolerances and their impact on manufacturing processes.
- Review product designs for robustness and manufacturing feasibility, recommending improvements to enhance quality and manufacturability.
- Support body construction activities, including joining, welding, tooling, and dimensional engineering, to ensure reliable and repeatable production processes.
- Assess dimensional conditions that could affect overall vehicle fit, function, perceived quality, or crash performance requirements.
- Drive lessons learned and manufacturing best practices into new product designs to continuously improve future vehicle programs.
- Support SRI, structures, virtual builds, and product feasibility activities to validate designs prior to physical builds.
- Develop and support checking fixtures, PCF and CMM fixtures, and measurement strategies that ensure accurate dimensional verification.
- Participate in and lead fixture and tooling buyoffs, confirming that equipment meets dimensional accuracy and quality requirements before production use.
- Develop and execute pre-launch and launch control plans to monitor and manage dimensional and quality performance during ramp-up.
- Support DCV and PCF build events and lead the resolution of manufacturing issues identified during these builds.
- Ensure plant metrology equipment, fixtures, measurement programs, and measurement plans are ready and capable to support launch activities.
- Lead dimensional issue resolution during build events and launch, coordinating cross-functional efforts to achieve stable production.
- Support stamped-part quality and progression toward PSW by monitoring dimensional performance and driving corrective actions.
- Diagnose manufacturing issues related to sheet metal, joining processes, spot welds, fixtures, and dimensional variation, and develop effective solutions.
- Utilize dimensional inspection tools, including calipers and other measurement equipment, to evaluate manufacturing conditions and verify conformance.
- Drive dimensional and functional issues to closure in support of OK-to-Buy decisions, ensuring vehicles meet all quality and performance criteria.

Essential Skills

- Minimum of 2 years of manufacturing or engineering experience, preferably in automotive or complex mechanical systems.
- Strong understanding of GD&T and engineering tolerances, including practical application in production environments.
- Experience working with vehicle dimensional systems or dimensional quality, with the ability to relate measurements to vehicle performance.
- Solid understanding of body construction, joining, and welding processes, including spot welding and their impact on dimensional control.
- Systems Engineering mindset with the ability to understand how individual components, tolerances, joining processes, fixtures, tooling, and dimensional variation affect the complete vehicle.
- Ability to determine acceptable manufacturing tolerances and assess their impact on fit, function, and quality.
- Hands-on experience with dimensional measurement and inspection tools, such as calipers and related metrology equipment.
- Ability to evaluate manufacturing quality issues and determine potential root causes using data and structured problem-solving.
- Willingness and ability to travel up to 4050%, including extended support at North American assembly plants during major vehicle launches.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
- Experience in Vehicle Dimensional Engineering and Dimensional Systems Engineering.
- Experience in tolerance stack-up and tolerance analysis across complex assemblies.
- Knowledge of steel and aluminum tolerances and how material properties influence dimensional control.
- Experience with joining and welding processes, including spot welding and fixture design considerations.
- Direct involvement in tooling and fixture buyoffs, with the ability to speak in detail about equipment qualification and acceptance criteria.
- Exposure to metrology practices, including the use and support of checking fixtures, PCF fixtures, CMM fixtures, and measurement strategies.
- Understanding of vehicle structural requirements and how dimensional integrity supports safety and performance.
- Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly and collaborate with cross-functional teams in engineering, manufacturing, and quality.

Work Environment This role operates in a dynamic manufacturing and product development environment that spans engineering offices, body shops, and assembly plants. The engineer collaborates closely with cross-functional teams during new model development, virtual builds, pre-launch activities, and production launches. Work includes time on the plant floor around body construction, welding, and tooling operations, as well as time in metrology labs using checking fixtures, CMM fixtures, and measurement equipment such as calipers. Travel is required up to approximately half of the time, including extended stays at North American assembly plants during major vehicle launches. The environment emphasizes safety, precision, data-driven decision-making, and continuous improvement, with a strong focus on vehicle quality, dimensional integrity, and robust manufacturing processes.
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract position based out of Dearborn, MI.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $45.00 - $50.00/hr. Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors. Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job
classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be
subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits
available for this temporary role may include the following:

Medical, dental & vision
Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
Short and long-term disability
Health Spending Account (HSA)
Transportation benefits
Employee Assistance Program
Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract position based out of Dearborn, MI.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Nov 12, 2026.
Workplace Type
This is a fully onsite position in Dearborn,MI. About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without
regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability,
sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected
by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or
adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability,
please email [email protected] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance:
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the
city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants
with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector:
It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a
condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law
shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process,
including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications
and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you
acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.